Relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges

This bill relates to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents. The bill defines the term “institution” as an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents or a community college. “Institution” also includes the faculty, staff, and other employees of such institution of higher education or community college. The bill defines “reasonable accommodations” as including but not being limited to taking additional health and safety measures; allowing a student to reschedule tests and assignment due dates that are missed for reasons related to the student’s pregnancy; allowing a student to take a leave of absence; and excusing absences for reasons deemed medically necessary due to the pregnancy. The bill prohibits an institution from requiring a student enrolled in a course of study or research activity to take a leave of absence, withdraw from a program, or limit the student’s participation in academic activities solely due to pregnancy. The bill requires an institution to make reasonable accommodations to a pregnant student to allow the student to complete a course of study or research. The bill requires an institution to allow a student who is pregnant or has recently given birth an additional amount of time to take examinations, complete a degree, or complete a candidacy for a degree up to the longer of a period consistent with the policies of the institution or months from the date originally scheduled for examination or completion, unless a longer period is medically necessary. The bill requires an institution to allow a student who is pregnant or has recently given birth a period of up to months to take a leave of absence unless there is a medically necessary reason for a longer leave of absence. Following the leave of absence, the student shall be allowed to return to the student’s program with the same standing and manner as the student left to the degree reasonably possible. The bill requires the state attorney general to maintain a system to receive and investigate complaints from students alleging a violation relating to pregnancy and recent birth accommodations. The bill requires the attorney general to forward complaints it has determined as founded to the United States department of education’s office for civil rights to allow for an investigation into the institution’s compliance with the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. The bill requires an institution to maintain a written policy for students on pregnancy discrimination and procedures for addressing pregnancy discrimination complaints under this Code section and the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. The institution must provide a copy of the policy to institution faculty, staff, and employees in required training and to all students attending orientation at the institution. The bill requires an institution to prominently post notice of the protections afforded to pregnant students and students who have recently given birth under the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 on the institution’s internet site., through the institution’s medical center and student health center to a student upon the student’s request and when otherwise appropriate. The bill requires an institution to assign responsibility for pregnancy and parenting support and protection to a staff member of the institution. The institution must post the responsible person’s name, title, and contact information on the institution’s internet site. The responsibilities assigned to the staff member include but are not limited to maintaining current knowledge of Code provisions relating to accommodations afforded to pregnant students and students who recently gave birth; overseeing institution compliance with Code provisions relating to accommodations afforded to pregnant students and students who recently gave birth; and understanding and publicizing topics related to pregnancy and parenting, including but not limited to child care availability, breastfeeding accommodations, and pregnancy and parenting assistance from public and private providers, in order to enhance campus life and academic performance.